By Craig Kerry
“We’ve just wanted to keep him fresh,” Smith said. “He was kept fresh for that last run, and it just seems to be the key to him.
“He just goes good early in his prep and the longer prep you give him, he trains off, so we’ve gone the month between runs.
“He won like someone shot him out of a gun the other day at Canterbury, and he’s going as good as he was going into that run, so I’m pretty happy with him.
“He likes it wet, a good gate and Jason Collett on, and he’s won four on him.”
Smith also has a chance in the feature race, the listed Winter Stakes, with Astero. The seven-year-old was third last start behind Headley Grange and Welwal in the Civic Stakes at Randwick over the same distance.